ERIC Number: EJ1317365
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Dec
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3737
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Why the Opportunity School District Failed? An Examination of Coalitions and the Politics of School Improvement
Welsh, Richard O.; Graham, Jerome
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, v43 n4 p688-712 Dec 2021
In this study, we examine coalition building and coordination using a qualitative case study of the coalition opposing a ballot initiative to create a state-run turnaround district in Georgia. The findings highlight three important strategies in coalition building: (a) incorporating new actors, especially noneducation advocacy groups and noneducator groups in education; (b) incorporating noneducation and African American advocacy groups in the leadership of the coalition; and (c) identifying and coalescing around core beliefs early to unite a diverse coalition. Time to organize, prior relationships, and interest group autonomy were key factors in navigating tensions between coalition breadth and coalition cohesion. Salient coalition coordination strategies included the following: (a) "keep it local and grassroots," and (b) diverse messaging.
Descriptors: School Districts, School Turnaround, Failure, Educational Improvement, Partnerships in Education, Educational Change, Educational Policy, Politics of Education, Advocacy, African Americans, State Legislation, Race, Ideology
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Georgia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A